In the military, there is always a need to achieve extended range for artillery weapon systems without suffering a loss in payload and effectiveness of a weapon. Typically, increases in maximum artillery range capability have been accomplished by increasing muzzle velocity of the projectile through the use of larger cannon and cannon propelling charges, coupled with aerodynamic streamlining of the projectile and the incorporation of a post-launch, inflight propulsion system.
The use of larger cannon with larger cannon propelling charges to achieve significantly greater maximum range capability is limited by physical constraints of weight and size which adversely affect the mobility of the weapon.
Improvements in projectile design have similarly provided the means for increasing artillery maximum range capability. However, these improvements, individually, have inherent limitation. It is possible to simply incorporate a larger rocket motor at the expense of reduced payload/cargo in the projectile design configuration to achieve the desired maximum range goal. However, this would result in a degradation in lethality, hence effectiveness.
Base burning, an alternative technique for increasing maximum projectile range capability, cannot be improved to any great extent since range increases are the result of reducing projectile base drag, with no further range augmentation realized beyond that resulting from elimination of base drag.